Remember(ing) the (writing) Titans
It’s been a pretty busy 10 days or so since my last post. Today I found out that Christopher Tolkien (son of JRR Tolkien) died. He was 95 and was responsible for shining the light of day onto the Silmarillion and Children of Hurin among other things. All in all, 95 is a pretty good run.
Sixty-seven, however, doesn’t sound nearly fair in comparison, and it was a pretty awful weekend when I found out Neil Peart had also died – of brain cancer Jan. 7. The lyricist and phenomenal drummer of Rush, Peart has provided the backbone to the soundtrack of my life since high school.
And if you’re wondering what connection the two might have, other than being writers, then you haven’t heard ‘Rivendell’ from Rush’s Fly by Night album, or ‘Necromancer’ from their Caress of Steel disc. Influence begets influence.
As a private person, Peart kept news of his cancer close to the vest so it came as a surprise to almost everyone. As a drummer he was without peer. As a writer he explored a lot of areas that most people can relate to, in short form with music, and in longer form with several books.
If you’ve never heard his music, I envy you – you only get to experience your first time once, and it’s still ahead of you. If you’re familiar with his work, likely you’ve been listening to it a lot the last two weeks. (As evidenced by a report I read today that suggest Rush will make a re-entry into the Billboard 200 album charts soon)
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If the passage of these two titans shows us anything, it’s that words matter. What doesn’t matter so much is the medium. Song lyrics, novels, poetry, plays, movies – all of it has at its core the heart of the writer, exploring themes that are universal, timeless and at the same time as individual as each author.
That individuality is the reason so many stories can share essentially the same theme, sometimes even plot, but still be very different and worth reading. Every writer puts his/her own voice, experience, imagination, and soul into their own words. What we take from those words is largely guided by the writer’s use of language, feel for their topic, passion for their work, and compassion for their audience. And of course, how we interpret it is largely based on how we, as readers, feel when we dive in.
I won’t belabor this point by quoting Tolkien or Peart. The fact is there are just too many worthy quotes to choose from and I know that if I tried, I would almost immediately think of another that provided a better representation of how I feel.
And that’s all you really need to know – as writers, they were able to capture the essence of how we feel; and create worlds we felt for.
While it’s easy to say the world is a sadder and lesser place for their having left it, I’d prefer to think the world is a much richer and more meaningful place for their having been a part of it.
Rest in peace Chris and Neil, and thank you — you’ll be missed, but you’ve left a gift for all future generations. One can hardly ask for a better legacy.
Finally, Rush was the first band I saw live. As of today, they were the last band I saw as well – a span of 30 years from first to last 1985 to 2015 with a handful of others tossed in between. The link to the short video clip below is, I think, the only video I shot from the R40 tour in Portland, Oregon in 2015. It’s rough video, but I couldn’t have picked a better 15 seconds of a 3 hour concert to represent the man. Ladies and gentlemen, the Professor on the drum kit…
